1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the control of measurement and display functions of an imaging system for a microscope.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some digital cameras for microscopes are equipped with a scale function for figuring out the size of an observed image or a measurement function for measuring the distance between given two points in an observed image.
The scale function is a function of, for figuring out the size of an observed image, displaying a scaled ruler, or reporting the magnification of the microscope to the observer. In the case of a microscope digital camera, the reported content is displayed over the observed image, as a general reporting method. The scale is generally displayed with its position being fixed on a margin of the image, such as the bottom right of the image.
With the measurement function, when the observer draws a straight line between given two points or a circle connecting given three points on the observed image, the length of the straight line or the area of the circle is calculated and displayed. Accordingly, information of the distance, area and the like regarding a target substance in the observed image can be obtained.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-155268 discloses the display of a scale on a margin of a display area on a screen displaying an image. In addition, it discloses that when given two points on the screen are specified using a pointer displayed on the screen, the actual distance between the given two points is displayed together with the magnification for the observation used at the time when the drawing between the two points is performed. In Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2000-155268, according to the disclosed circuit configuration, the scale or the drawing between two points is not embedded in the image, and displayed on the image only on the display screen (the scale and drawing between two points cannot be saved with the image).
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-27904 discloses that, in a radiological image display apparatus, the distance (fixed at the magnification if ×1) and the distance converted with a set magnification of given two points on an image can be displayed.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-32524 discloses the scale display on a camera image by setting the microscope magnification in the camera. In addition, by setting the microscope magnification in the setting at the camera side, a scale display that is suitable for the observed image can be performed. In addition, the scale can be displayed over a live image, as well as over a recorded still image.
Therefore, according to Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-32524, character strings of shooting conditions, scale and the like can be displayed on an observed image of the microscope, and image recording can be performed while embedding the character strings in the image. The size of the character strings can be expanded or reduced to a size that is easy to see on the screen display. Furthermore, at the time when the image recording is performed, the character strings can be recorded in a size (font size) that is different from the size at the time of screen display.
Accordingly, for example, compared to the font size (the pixel size per one character in the character string) for a monitor resolution of 640×480, in the case when the monitor resolution is 320×240, the font size is reduced automatically. This optimizes the size of the character string for the observed image on the screen (the visual size of the character string).